Rotary operative fastener



Nov. 16, 1943. w. l.- JoNEs 2,334,676

ROTARY OPERATIVE FASTENER Original Filed Nov. 10, 1938 w1 10 Fw! zu Patented Nov. 16, 1943 ROTARY OPERATIVE FASTENER Walter I. Jones, Belmont, Mass., assignor to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Original application November 10, 1938, Serial No. 239,826. Divided and this application November 19, 1942, SerialNo. 466,153

12 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in rota'ry operative type fastenerssuch as those used for securing cowling sheets of airplanes together and more particularly to the rotary fastener or stud part thereof, and the invention aims generally to improve the construction of such existing fastener parts.

Such rotary operative type fasteners usually consist of a rotary stud part rotatably mounted in one of the parts to be supported, which stud is formed with laterally projecting shoulders or arms which 'are adapted, upon rotation thereof, to interlock with a fastener socket or spring member attached to a. suitable support. Heretofore, such stud parts generally have been screwmachine-made parts, usually fitted with a transverse pin to provide the radial arms thereon, and such parts are relatively slow and expensive to manufacture.

The present applicationeis a division of my prior application Serial No. 239,826, filed November 10, 1938, wherein is claimed' certain improvements in the construction and mounting of the spring or socket member of the fastening, The present invention is concerned with the construction of the rotary fastener or stud part irrespective of the type or construction of socket member with which it is used.

Illustrative of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawing showing certain preferred embodiments thereof, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a portion of an installation of one embodiment of my invention; l

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view as taken on the'line 2--2 of Fig. 1; e

Fig. 3 is a trasverse sectional view as taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, the shank member of the rotatable stud being shownlnelevation;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the rotatable stud assembly;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of of the rotatable stud member;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the 'retainer for securing the rotatable stud to its support;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating an alternative embodiment of rotatable stud;

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view as taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a rear elevation of the rotatable stud illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the rotatable stud illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, a portion the shank part vof the head being broken away to illustrate the method of assembly; and

Fig. ll isa perspective -view of the attaching washer for assembling the rotatable stud with its support.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 tol 6 inclusive, I have shown a rotary stud member for use in a rotary operative ltype of fastener, such as is adapted to be used in assembling cowling sheets, and the like, of`airplanes. Such fasteners, however, are not restricted to such use and in fact may be used in other installations where it is desired to secure together two or more members.

Fasteners of this type are composed primarily of two members, one of which is the rotary member or stud rotatably mounted `in one of the members of the installation and which is adapted to cooperate and be interlocked with a spring or socket member mounted on the other member of the installation.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. l to 6 inclusive, the rotary member or stud has a head portion I and a shank portion 2 made from separate pieces of lmetal and adapted to be assembled `so as to operate as a single unit. The head I is preferably in the form of a hollow sheet metal cap having conicalshaped side walls 3 (Figs. 2 and 3). An elongated slot Il is cut through the front face of the head portion lI to permit the passage of an end ofthe shank portion 2 therethrough and the head I may be securely attachedto the shank 2 by crimping the sides 3 over bevelled faces of the shank to form theconical-shaped sid'e walls 3, as shown in Fig. 3. Depressed portions 5 areformed in the face of the head member I at right angles to and on opposite sides of the slot 4, which together with a slot'G in the end of the shank 2 forms a tool-receiving recess for the reception of a suitable tool by means of which the rotary stud may be turned.

TheV support for thev rotating member of the fastener may be a piece of sheet material 1, for

example an airplane cowling sheet, in which is formed an aperture 8 surrounded by a dished or conical-shaped Wallf9, providing -a bearing surface for the wall 3 of the rotary stud head I. The conical-shaped walls 9 provide a recess for the conical-shaped head I so that the stud may be assembled with its support l with the head` I flush with the outer surface of the support 1, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

The aperture 8of`the support 'l must'be of a vsize suiiicient to. permit the passage ofthe are normally upstanding as shown in Fig. 6 but which may be bent downwardly across Ithe slot II, rearwardly of the shank 2, as shown in'Figs.=

2 and 4, thus preventing removal therefrom.

take-up means to accommodate variations in thicknesses of the installations.

Another feature of this rotating member is in the attaching washer 21 (Fig. ll) which is formed with an oblong aperture and is adapted to be engaged with the shank by `hooking it under one Ashoulder 25 and then tipping it'into place `v`below the shoulder. "Assuming, of course, that :'10 means of ears I3 (see Figs. land A6), which the rotating member Ahas been placed in the `proper position Ywith relation to its support `I,

thef washer may now be pressed'toward the plate where it Psnaps by yieldable finger portions 29-29 -(Figs.-'1"8 and-10) These finger portions engage thewash'er 21 and the washer in turn engages the The washer I0 preferably bears against the end of the conical wall 9 of the plate 1 v (Fig. 3),; l, thereby providing a neat assembly of minimum, ,.1

thickness without interference with any lotherl part of the installation.

The shank portion 2 is preferablyflat-sided as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, and has a tapered nose portion I4 spaced fromthe headend I andwhich is passed through the aperture 8 of the 7plate portion. spring-engaging portions in the formof lateral projections or shoulders I5--I5 having cam surfaces I6 for cooperation with the socket or spring member of the fastening, as Will be readily understood. 1 l The socket or spring member I1 may be'of any approved form adapted to cooperate and interlock with a rotary stud member having lateral projections, the form shown herein by way ofwiillustration being of the type claimed in my parent application Serial No. 239,826, filed November 10, 1938. Such socket or springvmembers are suitably attached to a support I8 therefor and comprise at least an apertured seat I9 spaced-outwardly from the member I8 andl adapted tobe engaged, under pressure, by the projecting shoulders of the stud upon rotation of the latter. Advantageously, such socket members may include suitably shaped ca m portions adapted to be engaged by the cam surfaces I6 of the stud-so as l,

to guide the projecting shoulders of the stud to the seat I8 and subject the supports 'I and IB to compression. i n

Referring now to the embodiment of .my inventionillustrated by Figs. -7 through 11 inciusive, I have shown a fastening means which, except for details of construction, is the sameas that described above.v Therefore, .in connection with this fastener I will limit the description to the difference in details. k

The rotating member of this fastener is also l madein two. pieces, but in this case the head portion 2II has only the tool-receivingrecess 2 I The shank member is formed from thin sheet .metal and is folded at its outer end to providea pair'of leg portions 22-22 (Figs. 7 and l0) with semicircular foot portions 23-'23 fitting into the seat at opposite sides of the recess portion 2I and held in assembly by the tapered wallv 2l. yIn:4 this manner I have provided a rotating'member which in some respects is easier and cheaper .t0-manu'.- facture than the one previously described and its appearance is better since the slot I inthepart I ofmy first preferred device iseliminated. An'- other feature of this rotating-member'is in the 1 Adjacent the'nose end are socket or plate Tthereby 'holding the rotating member in y.assembly-with the plate.

yThe various advantages of the details of my structures could be described more specifically but this is not deemed necessary since anyone "skilled 'in the art will readily appreciate the ad- ,vantages 4from 'an .inspection of the drawings and thev general description already presented.-

While I have illustrated andv described preferred embodiments .of lmy invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby because the scope of my invention is best defined by the following claims.

v I,V claim; l y 1. In a rotary operative type fastener including 'jas'ocket-member .as lone vof the parts thereof,

having: an r apertured stud-receiving portion .spaced from the part on lwhich it is mounted;` a rotary 'stud-member for: cooperation ,with said socket member -and rotatablymounted in a member ,to'ble' attached to. said part, lsaid stud member being 0f .two-)piece construction, one. of the parts the'reof' comprising a metalv shank having 'integral laterallyI projecting shoulders. thereon "andthe' 'other` partV thereof comprising a sheet metal discprimped over an end of said'` shank `remoteA from lsaids'houlders, said shoulders being adapted' to' 'engage and interlock with the -aperl tured stud-'receiving portiony of the socket member onturnin'g movementthereof. f

2. In a rotary o'perative type fastener including afsocket memberas one of the parts thereof hav- 'in g an' 'aperturedj stud-receiving portion spaced `from thepartl on which it is mounted; la. rotary stud member for cooperation', with said socket member' and rotatably'mounted in a member to vbe i'it'tachfed to' said part, said'stud member being of two-'piece constructiong'one of the parts there of comprising a 'metal shank having integral lateraliyprojecting'shoulders thereon and the other part thereof comprising` a sheet metal disc crimped over an "end of said. shank remotel from said shoulders, the outer vface 'of said disc being 'groove'd'to forma rtool-receiving recess by means of which rotary' turning' movement-may be imparted tosaid stud.

3. In a rotary operativetype fastener including a socket member as one of the parts thereof,

vhavingl an'apertured stud-receiving portion spacedlfrom thepart on which it is mounted; a rotaryfstudmember for cooperation withsaid socket member and rotatably mounted in a member Atobe attached tdsaid'parhsaid stud member vbeing-of two-piecezconst'ruction. one of the 4parts comprising an elongated metal shankA having a base' end yand laterally projecting shoulders Aspaced therefrorn, an vintegral tapered nose disposed' outwardly beyondlsaid shoulders, 4the other part of said studfcomprising a sheet metal disc 'crimped' over the base end lof said shank, said shoulders being adaptedl to engage and linterlock with the apertured stud-receiving portion of the socket member on turning movement; thereof.

4. In a rotary operative type fastener including a socket member as one of the parts thereof, having an aperatured stud-receiving portion spaced from the part on which i-t is mounted; a rotary stud member for cooperation with said socket member and rotatably mounted in a member to be attached to said part, said stud member being of two piece construction, one of the parts thereof comprising an elongated metal shank having a base end and laterally projecting shoulders spaced therefrom, an integral tapered nose disposed outwardly beyond said shoulders, the other part of said stud comprising a sheet metal disc crimped over the base end of said shank, and a sheet metal washer formed with an elongated opening to receive the shank of said stud for retaining said stud rotatably in its supporting member.

5. In a rotary operative type fastener including a socket member as one of the parts thereof having an apertured stud-receiving portion spaced from the part on which it is mounted; a, rotary stud member for cooperation with said socket member and rotatably mounted in a member to be attached to said part, said stud member being of two-piece construction, one of the parts thereof comprising an elongated metal shank having a base end and laterally projecting shQulders spaced therefrom, an integral tapered nose disposed outwardly beyond said' shoulders, the other part of said stud comprising a sheet metal disc crimped on the base end of said shank, and a sheet metal washer formed with an elongated opening to receive the shank of said stud, said washer having portions entirely surrounding said shank and serving to retain said stud rotatably in its supporting member.

6. In a rotary operative lsype fastener including a socket member as one of the parte thereof having an pertured stud-receiving portion spaced from the part on which it is mounted; a rotary stud member for cooperation'with said socket members and rotatably mounted in a member to be attached to said part, said stud comprising a head portion disposed on one side of its supporting member and a shank portion extending through and beyond said supporting member and a sheet metal washer formed with an elongated stud extending inwardly from one edge thereof and adapted to be slipped around said shank adjacent the side of the supporting member opposite said head and displaceable portions on said washer adapted to be disposed in said opening behind said shank to prevent accidental removal of said washer from said shank.

7. In a rotary operative fastener installation of the class described a rotary member and a spring member each being associa-ted with separate plate members. said rotary member having a head resting against one side of a plate member and a shank for engagement with the spring extending through an aperture in said plate member and a sheet metal washer-like member formed with a slot open at an edge thereof and capable of being moved laterally into engagement with the rotary member, said washer-like member engaging a face of said plate member opposite said head for securing said rotary member in assembly therewith and means for securing said washer-like member to said rotary member against accidental removal therefrom. p

8. In a rotary operative fastener installation of the class described a rotary member and a spring member each being associated with separate plate members, said rotary member having a head resting against one side of a pla-te member and a t shank for engagement with the spring extending through an aperture in said plate member and a sheet metal washer-like member engaging the other side of said plate member and engaging the rotating member to secure it in assembly with said plate member, said washer-like member having a. Vslot therein for the reception of the shank of the rotating member and at least one bendable ear extending into said slot to prevent removal of the washer.

9. In a rotary operative fastener installation of the class described a rotary member and a spring member each being associated with separate plate members, said rotary member having a head resting against one side of a plate member and a shank for engagement with the spring extending through an aperture in said plate member and a sheet metal washer-like member having an oblong apertureV therethrough, said shank passing through said oblong aperture and having a yieldable portion snapped through said aperture and engaging said washer-like member to hold it in assembly with said rotary member.

i0. In a separable fastener of the class described, a rotating member for fastening engagement with a cooperating spring member, said ro tating member including two separate parts comprising a head formed from sheet metal and a shank part also formed from sheet metal, means securing said head to one end of said shank whereby said parts are assembled together to form a single operative unit and said shank having a shoulder in spaced relationy to said head.

11. In a separable fastener of the class described, a rotating member for fastening engagement with a cooperating spring member, said rotating member including' two separate parts comprising a head part and a shank part, means securing said head to one end of said shank whereby said parts are assembled together to form a single operative unit, said shank member being in the form of a sheet metal strip bent intermediate its ends to have a double thickness and said shank having a shoulder in spaced relation to said head. n

12. In a separable fastener of the class described, a rotating member for fastening engagement with a cooperating spring member, said rotating member including two separate parts comprising a circular head part formed from sheet metal and a shank part also formed from sheet metal, means securing said head to one end of said shank whereby said parts are assembled together to form a single operative unit, said shank having a shoulder in spaced relation to said head, and said head having a tool-receiving depression in one face forming a complementary projection on an opposite face, and said projection cooperating with portions of said shank member to prevent relative rotation of the parts.

WAL'I'ER I. JONES. 

